Junior defensive end Ryan Delaire did not play in Towson’s 44-17 battering of Colonial Athletic Association rival Albany on Saturday, but coach Rob Ambrose said the team’s leader in sacks with 6½ is expected to return in time for this Saturday’s game at Richmond.

“He was a little bumped and bruised and did not make the trip," Ambrose said of Delaire’s absence on Monday's CAA conference call. "I would expect him to be on the roster, on the bus and on the field [this week].”

With 25 sacks, the No. 8 Tigers (7-1 overall and 3-1 in the CAA) rank fourth in the Football Championship Subdivision in that department. But after compiling 21 sacks in the first five games, the defense has just four in its past three games.

“The fact that we got after the quarterback so well so early, you can see on film that people are adjusting schematically what they do just because they don’t want to go backwards,” he said. “They change how they call plays a little bit so that they’re not getting off schedule and putting themselves in long-down situations where we would have the advantage in rushing the passer. I give them credit. When they see who is really getting after them, you tend to watch the double teams on the inside, some chipping or max protection by keeping multiple backs in there. But we’ve got good coaches in this league and they’re going to find a way to protect themselves and be successful. I think in the long run, those stats will still come to bear and we’ll keep putting pressure on quarterbacks and keep playing good defense.”